Category: Gen Info – All Ages
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Strep Throat
Sore throats cause illness in almost everyone during the winter and spring seasons. There are many causes including viral, allergic, reflux, and bacterial (strep and not strep). Streptococcus pyogenes (aka Group A Strep or “strep throat”) is the culprit 25% of the time. With all the potential causes, how can you tell who has strep…
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Contraception Options
As a physician who has counseled families for almost twenty years, I have had to discuss contraceptive options many times and in my assessment, there is a great deal of misconception about what, where, when, and how they are used. I highly encourage all of my patients to ask questions, then ask more questions so…
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Medical Terminology
Doctors have spent a lot of time studying. We have undergraduate degrees, a medical degree, a completed residency program, then sometimes additional fellowship programs to specialize. During this rigorous journey, most of us are completely immersed in the study of medicine and surrounded by like-minded students. We get used to discussing medicine in clinical terms…
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Urinalysis Interpretation
This “pee in a cup” test is simple and informative. Although used most commonly to detect urinary tract infections, this test is also a valuable tool to screen for other disease processes as well. However, this test is far from perfect and abnormalities often require further testing before a diagnosis can be made. In a…
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Basic Asthma Medications
Asthma is a hypersensitivity reaction to a trigger like exercise, allergies, viruses, smoke, etc. Regardless of trigger, the body initiates an allergic response with a release of inflammatory products that result in a constricted airway, mucus production and airway restriction. I compare it to my sister and I in the woods. She stumbles into some…
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Translating Lab: CBC
When it comes to ordering tests, I always start by asking myself two questions: “What am I looking for?” and “How will this change treatment”? The complete blood count (CBC) is a very common test performed for many reasons. I can look at the page of results in a matter of seconds. To those not…
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Decoder Ring for OTC Cold Remedies
Upper respiratory infections are fun for no one. Every time I get sick, I am amazed at how much snot a person’s body can make. And everyone has an opinion on the best way to treat them – ask your neighbor, a family member, and your mailperson. Everyone has a different answer. When staring at…
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Demystifying Fever
I get a lot of calls about fever typically followed by: How high is too high? When do I need to go to the ER? Do I need an antibiotic? What do I do next? Fever is one of the first signs that the body’s immune system has been activated. There is not a magic…
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